The heavy equipment and transportation industries have long had need for a methodology to determine the internal condition and need for service of the crucial large engines that are used in fixed plant, maritime, railroad, construction and aircraft applications. The expense of these engines and the high opportunity costs incurred in shutting them down for maintenance gives rise to the need for a preventive maintenance method to accurately determine when an engine requires service and to predict incipient failures.
The railroad industry discovered infrared spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry as a means of monitoring wear of internal engine components in the 1940's. Since that time these principles have been adopted by most industries that use large or expensive oil wetted components. Oil companies and most engine manufacturers have some type of oil analysis program that they offer to their customers. The common element of all present systems is a lack of perceived value to the person who has the most critical role in the system, the operator. The systems are failures because they are too messy and complicated with no immediate direct return to the operators, and thus the operators have no incentive to reliably participate in the systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,725 to Snowden, Jr. et al discloses apparatus for testing lubricating oil; but, like other prior art systems, this system does not provide means for cleanly withdrawing an oil sample from the engine and transferring it to a container for testing.
This invention relates to an oil sampling device designed to provide a simple and clean means for removing and providing for analysis a sample of oil from an engine crankcase or oil sump. Given the economic advantages of preventive maintenance, there exists a need for vehicle owners and operators to be able to remove and analyze easily and effectively the oil in an engine crankcase. The device of the present invention provides not only the function of checking the level of oil in the engine crankcase, which is performed by conventional dipsticks, but also permits the removal of a sample of oil from the crankcase to analyze the composition of the oil. This analysis of the composition of the oil supplies the owner with information concerning oil conditions and also serves as an indication of engine performance and present and future maintenance requirements. The ability to quickly and cleanly generate such information allows the vehicle owner or operator to avoid the time and expense required for servicing the vehicle unnecessarily while at the same time supplying the engine performance analysis information needed to maintain safe and efficient operation of the vehicle.
Analysis of the oil sampled by the device of the present invention is performed based on known scientific principles of internal combustion engines. Motor oil used in internal combustion engines is naturally basic. It becomes acidic with use and at that time begins to corrode engine components. It is therefore important to be able to check the pH level of engine oil, its total base number reserve (TBN reserve) to determine the best time to change the oil prior to its base reserve being depleted. It is normal practice to change the oil when its TBN reserve dips below fifty percent of its original level.
In addition to testing the pH of the oil sample generated by the apparatus of the present invention, the oil sample can be further analyzed through infrared spectroscopy and other diagnostic techniques. In this manner, metallic particles and other contaminants can be detected and measured to thereby indicate engine wear rates and trends, cooling and fuel system leaks, air cleaner problems, etc. Combustion problems in the engine can also be detected through various analysis techniques of oil samples generated by the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oil sampling device which is easy to use and is clean and by which no oil is introduced into the environment or onto the hands or clothes of the person obtaining the oil sample.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an oil sampling system which permits the operator of a motor vehicle, for example, the operator of a truck, to perform a simple, clean sampling of the oil, to obtain an efficient analysis of the sample for any immediate problem conditions and to provide for efficient analysis of the oil sample to indicate engine performance.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus by which an oil sample can be generated and analyzed to produce information for the vehicle operator as to when engine oil should be changed and what engine maintenance, if any, is required.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a device by which an oil sample is generated and the sample easily handled and transported for subsequent analysis of the oil.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.